(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data retrieval support apparatus, a data retrieval support method and a medium storing a data retrieval support program which support retrieval of a desired piece of data from a large amount of data.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Recent developments in CD-ROMs and networks have facilitated the management of a large amounts of data. For example, operators can retrieve a desired piece of data from a large amount of data stored in an Electronic Book (Canon Inc.) using an electronic book player. In case of the Electronic Book "JTB Hotel Information '91" (Japan Travel Bureau), the electronic book player displays a data retrieval screen, as shown in FIG. 1(a). The operator retrieves data on this screen, for example, using a keyword forward matching method for specified keywords, such as region name or budget. Here, if the operator inputs a region name "SAPPORO-CITY" into the input field for the question "REGION", as shown in FIG. 1B, the retrieval results are displayed on the screen, as shown in FIG. 1C. This screen indicates that Sapporo City provides 102 accomodation facilities. Of these, the screen displays the first eight facilities. The operator can check the rest of the information by specifying a next page button (NEXT) or a previous page button (PREV).
However, it is not so easy for the operator to find a desired facility on the above screen. It may take a lot of next page specifications before the operator reaches the desired facility. The desired facility may happen to lie near the end of the information.